Definitions for xanthosoma

This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word xanthosoma

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

Xanthosoma, genus Xanthosoma(noun)

tropical American tuberous perennials

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

Xanthosoma

Xanthosoma is a genus of flowering plants in the arum family, Araceae. The genus contains about 50 species that are native to tropical America. Several are grown for their starchy corms, an important food staple of tropical regions, known variously as malanga, otoy, otoe, cocoyam, tannia, tannier, yautía, macabo, macal, taioba, dasheen, quequisque, ʻape and as Singapore taro. Many other species are used as ornamental plants, and in popular horticultural literature are known as ‘ape or elephant ear, although the latter name is sometimes also applied to members with similar appearance and uses in the closely related genera Caladium, Colocasia, and Alocasia. The leaves of most Xanthosoma species are 40-200 cm long, sagittate or subdivided into three or as many as 18 segments. Unlike the leaves of Colocasia, those of Xanthosoma are usually not peltate- the upper v-notch extends into the point of attachment of the leaf petiole to the blade.

U.S. National Library of Medicine(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

Xanthosoma

A plant genus of the family ARACEAE. The common names of 'Coco Yam' (Cocoyam) or 'Elephant's Ear' may be confused with COLOCASIA and other ARACEAE or with common yam (DIOSCOREA). It contains LECTINS.